TSA outsourced terror list to anti-Muslim group? Shocking, not really.
The Intercept reports that the TSA allegedly relied on the George Washington University Program on Extremism (GWP) to help populate its secret watchlist—a group that critics argue disproportionately targets Muslim Americans. This isn't just bureaucratic sloppiness; it's a chilling echo of post-9/11 policies that labeled dissent as danger, often with a clear religious bias. While mainstream media
frames it as a 'controversy,' the track record of 'counter-extremism' programs is anything but subtle. This type of 'expertise' has historically been weaponized to surveil, harass, and criminalize communities, conveniently sidestepping the actual extremism often found closer to home. One might wonder if the real 'threat' these groups identify is anyone questioning the prevailing narratives,
especially those who speak up about US foreign policy. Why fund academic programs that reinforce convenient biases, instead of, say, strengthening domestic institutions? It appears we've simply upgraded the blacklists to digital databases, but the underlying prejudices remain disturbingly analog. Who needs 'extremism' when you have a handy institutional filter?